Lonzo Ball injury update: Bulls guard to have left knee surgery, out 6-8 weeks

Ball's knee did not respond well to treatment, so he is having arthroscopic surgery

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball will have arthroscopic surgery on his injured left knee, the team announced on Thursday, and he will be out for six to eight weeks. The injury is a small meniscus tear, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. 

Earlier Thursday, there remained a possibility that Ball might try to play through the injury, per The Athletic. According to the Bulls' statement, this decision was made after "an initial period of rest and targeted intervention."

Before the Bulls' 117-104 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, coach Billy Donovan said that Ball's knee had not responded well to treatment. 

"We were giving him some therapy on his knee, there wasn't a great response to that," Donovan told reporters, "so that's when he left to come back from the trip in Memphis, and now they've switched to a different kind of treatment for him and they'll see how that treatment works out, and then there'll be another step after that if we need (there) to be. But right now it's just more just trying to help him just get healthy."

Ball has missed Chicago's three most recent games, as has guard Zach LaVine. Neither will travel with the team for the Bulls' upcoming three-game road trip. LaVine suffered a knee injury of his own last Friday during a game against the Golden State Warriors.

Chicago has not had its full complement of backcourt players available since Dec. 20. Alex Caruso returned Wednesday after a long stay in COVID health and safety protocols and reconditioning.